Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne dies suddenly

Sergio Marchionne

Sergio Marchionne, the man who engineered a historic merger between Fiat and Chrysler to rescue the Detroit automaker from financial collapse, died Wednesday in Switzerland. He was 66.

Marchionne died after complications from surgery last week. On Saturday, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles quickly replaced him as CEO with Mike Manley, who most recently led Jeep and Ram brands, when it was clear that Marchionne wouldn't recover. Marchionne is survived by his sons Alessio and Tyler, and his longtime partner Manuella Battezzato.

During his tenure Marchionne was plainspoken and blunt about many topics, including electric cars. He famously dissuaded people from purchasing the electric Fiat 500e, which is sold in California as a "compliance car."

"I hope you don't buy it," he said in 2014, shortly after the car debuted. "Every time I sell one it costs me $14,000." (The 500e, with 84 miles of electric range, sells for $33,990 before tax credits, though Fiat leased a lot of them for $199 a month.)

“Unfortunately, what we feared has come to pass. Sergio Marchionne, man and friend, is gone,” John Elkann, grandson of former Fiat CEO Gianni Agnelli and chairman of Fiat's parent company Exor, said in a statement.

2013 Fiat 500e electric car, Los Angeles drive event, April 2013

A Canadian born in Italy, Marchionne was known as a chain-smoking workaholic among many in the automotive industry. Trained as a lawyer and an accountant, he worked first in finance and as a tax consultant before he was plucked from a Swiss trading firm to work at Fiat. Battered by sagging revenues and skyrocketing costs, Marchionne helped turn Fiat around.

After taking the reins of Fiat in 2004, Marchionne famously unwound a partnership with General Motors and got GM to pay $2 billion for the privilege.

With that money, he turned Fiat into Europe's fastest-growing automaker and developed a range of models for sale worldwide.

He reintroduced the Fiat, Alfa Romeo, and Maserati brands to the U.S. and turned Ferrari into the fastest-growing maker of sports cars, even introducing hybrids to the brand.

In 2009, he negotiated with the U.S. government to take over bankrupt Chrysler Corp.—for free—and merged it with Fiat.

In June, FCA announced it had paid back its sizeable industrial debt and would focus on crossovers, SUVs, and trucks to stay profitable.

A Biker Chick Runs Wild In The Fiat 500e

When Biker Chicks Drive Cars

Fiat cut me loose on the streets of LA in a 2016 500e to see if it could be as fun around town as it is on the track. I’ve driven both manual & automatic 500s, and a broad range of other electric cars. None of them as fun as the Fiat 500e. And it’s not just one biker chick saying this, plenty of car guys agree too. Charged magazine has the most comprehensive story on the 500e here. Motorcyclists in California (and most of the world) are spoiled. We never have to sit patiently in traffic, we just “get in where we fit in.” I wanted to see if the Fiat was fun enough to enjoy without being able to lanesplit. I managed to squeeze it into some pretty tight spaces, making it fairly exciting.

But of course Fiat doesn’t want you to know how much fun it is. They’re only supplying them to California and Oregon residents because they have to in order to sell their other vehicles here. They claimed in 2014 to be losing $14,000 on each 500e sold. Which is odd, considering that electric motors are much cheaper to build than gas engines, and batteries are getting cheaper every day. And building electric cars is certainly cheaper than being sued for lying about “clean” diesel. Perhaps they’re accounting for future lost income in the repair bay, where dealers make the big bucks. While auto execs think Fool Cell infrastructure will magically appear and render the ‘ol 110v outlet obsolete, battery EVs continue growing in popularity, both with drivers and governments alike.

Yes, the 500e has a J1772 outlet, but also a 110v adapter neatly tucked away under the micro trunk. I could’ve used the public charging station at the park 1/10th of a mile from home, but it was easier to just use the 110v adapter each night. Fiat USA told me that many customers charge at the office, as more offices have charging, even though California apartment buildings and condominiums are required to allow residents to charge in their on-site parking. While Tesla owners are likely to own their home and garage, 500e owners are more likely to be apartment dwellers.

Most of the days I had the car, I traveled about 50 miles around LA, mostly on surface streets (freeways are usually the slower route) and usually plugged in with about 50% remaining at the end of the day. The manual recommends not using an extension cord, but also says the 110v adapter will shut off if it has any problems. So I plugged it into the same extension cord I normally use to charge my Zero FX. The rain and the extension cord never gave me problems, but the fuse on the outlet I used couldn’t handle the car, the XBOX, lights, and a space heater all at once. It was easy enough to unplug the car while warming up the bedroom.

Testing the Limits of Range and Traction

Fiat had originally offered buyers free car rentals for longer trips, but cancelled this program because nobody used it — because range anxiety is a false fear that keeps the oil industry chugging along. Los Angeles had the worst rainstorm ever during the week I had this car, so I was able to test the limits of traction in water, just as I had on their dry autocross course back in 2013*. The low center of gravity (CoG) and short wheel base make cornering a delight.

The CoG is lower than on the gas 500 because of the battery placement. Many features developed for the 500e have been adopted for the gas 500 as well. This is the second quietest car I’ve ever been in, after the Tesla S. Riding in a Prius after driving this, I thought perhaps the owner had off-road tires on the Prius — it was so loud. The 500e also has improved aerodynamics, again adopted by the gas 500. But one of the best features of the 500e is how easy it is to get the tires to squeal. Sound effects always make a stunt more exciting, even when it’s just launching off a green light fast enough to elicit giggles. Here’s a video of a typical morning commute to downtown LA.

On Sunday, during the biggest rainstorm LA has ever seen, I took my boyfriend for a spin up Angeles Crest Highway, to see how far we could go before we’d have to turn around. There are no Level 2 chargers up there, so I had to err on the side of caution. We also had the heater and heated seats going, which can reduce range by about 10%. With 36% remaining after climbing roughly 3500 ft over 18 miles, as fast as I dared in the rain, I turned the car around and we made our way back down the hill. I’m already missing how easy it is to do U-turns in this car.

We spent enough time stuck behind (drafting?) a slow-moving truck that the range increased. We even gained a couple miles range in the 22-mile trip home, thanks to Fiat’s exceptionally accurate range estimator. Fiat designed it to analyze both your 100 mile average and the average of your last 10 miles. When you’ve got a full charge, it mainly relies on your 100 mile average, but as the range decreases, the predictor relies more on your past 10 miles. To let you know if you’re on the right track, it’s also got up & down arrows next to the range number. Up means you might be doing better than estimated, down means your mileage may be worse than estimated. In fact, I felt so optimistic about the range, we made a detour to the best donut shop in LA and still got home with 11% to spare. It’s always a bummer when that happens and you realize you could’ve been less cautious.

As you can see, I drove cautiously on the Crest, as I’d already discovered just how mediocre the tires were in the rain, and didn’t care to find out how well the car tumbles down a cliff. I drove with traction control on most of the time, but played around with it off on a dry day to see what that was like. It was also fun. Here’s a short video of my favorite rainy day activity:

So Much Bang For The Buck

After a week in the 500e, I would still take this over any other car if I couldn’t ride a motorcycle. Even if I had Tesla money, I’d have a 500e for city driving because it’s easier to squeeze into tight spaces. They’re insanely cheap to lease, and relatively cheap to buy as well. Although Fiat Chrysler won’t disclose 500e sales, Fiat US sales are 24% higher than they were last January. This 2013 article matches the lease pricing a dealer quoted me for the 2017 500e.

The only things I didn’t like about the car were:

1) The stereo forced me to listen to radio every time I turned it on, instead of silence while it connected with my phone. Sure, Sirius radio is comprehensive, but I’d rather listen to my Tidal playlists, thanks.

2) The best thing about the 500e is also a problem in America. It’s small. It’s cute. A little girl in her pink toy car/stroller pointed as I passed, while the burly fireman I gushed about the car to told me his ego wouldn’t fit into it. This was after I told him it’s not too small for someone of his stature. Los Angeles is home to some of the most aggressive drivers in the world. Self included. As a motorcyclist, I’ve noticed that size definitely matters. The more threatening your vehicle looks, the more likely people are to respect your right-of-way or let you cut in front of them. This is why so many people drive SUVs here. So, in the Fiat, I did notice that I got less respect from drivers than I do in my old 4Runner. But I can zip around obstacles a lot more easily in the Fiat, which more than makes up for the lack of size. And I’m sure Kenny Scharf could make it look more threatening.

*In 2013 I drove a Fiat 500e on an autocross course they’d set up at Refuel. It was absolutely the most fun I’d ever had on 4 wheels. I knew if I ever had to drive a car, it would be a 500e. Motorcycles & scooters have been my primary form of transport since 1985. I claw my way through LA traffic every day, wondering why so many people let fear rule their lives. After all, bones heal. Last month I broke my wrist because a driver didn’t see me coming. The most painful part of this was driving my gas-powered SUV (I actually use it to haul bikes) around LA in these dark times. Which is why this review is happening now.

Originally published on CleanTechnica.

Deal of the year? Used Fiat 500e electric cars at $6,500?

2017 Fiat 500e

It's well known by now that the used-car prices of low-range electric cars are low.

Any 2011 through 2016 electric car not made by Tesla is likely to be cheap on a used-car lot due to worries about battery degradation and its effect on range.

Used Nissan Leafs, for instance, can often be found for around $9,000, even with only 30,000 or 40,000 miles—thousands of dollars less than a used gasoline Nissan of the same age and mileage.

Now, it appears that the earliest of several thousand Fiat 500e electric cars first leased during 2013 are coming back to Fiat dealers at the end of their leases.

And, wow, are their prices low. How about wholesale auction prices of slightly over $4,000?

The data on those wholesale prices was compiled by auto writer (and occasional Green Car Reports resarcher) Bozi Tatarevic.

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Bozi Tatarevic @hoonable

The cheap lease returned electrics are coming. The 2013 Fiat 500e is running at a little over $4,000 at wholesale auctions this month.

12:43 PM - 28 Dec 2016

 
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And, he added, that should translate to a retail price of around $6,500 once the auctioned Fiat 500e hatchbacks hit used-car lots.

That means that you could conceivably pay $6,500 for a fun-to-drive, three-year-old electric car with only 30,000 to 40,000 miles on it.

Now, there's at least one catch: the 500e was only sold in California and Oregon, so Fiat dealers outside those two states will know little or nothing about the electric 500 variant.

While we could imagine some enterprising entrepreneur buying up the electric Fiats and bringing them to electric-car fans in other states, the service issue remains a risk.

2014 Fiat 500e - Driven, July 2014 (NWAPA Drive Revolution)

Still, we liked the little three-door Fiat 500e when we first drove it, and some owners feel it's the best car in the entire 500 range—and just as entertaining as the sporty 500 Abarth variant.

When we went on that first drive, even the Fiat Chrysler engineers who'd worked on the car seemed slightly stunned at how much fun it was.

Deals like this one could last for a while. Fiat won't say how many electric 500s it's sold, but the number could be as high as 13,000 by the end of this year.

That's a whole lot of fun, cheap, low-mileage electric cars that will need to find second homes over the next couple of years.

So what do you think? Can you find it in your heart to provide a "forever home" for a cute little Italian orphan?

Operators are standing by.

Ward’s 10 Best Engines Includes BMW i3 Motor, Hyundai Fuel Cell

Every year Ward’s Auto takes a look at all the new cars and engines out there, and puts together a list of their favorite drivetrains. This year some old friends and new faces were on Ward’s 10 Best Engines of 2015 list, including an electric motor and hydrogen drivetrain.

The 127 kW/170 horsepower electric motor from the Car of the Year BMW i3 was listed alongside the 100-kW fuel cell from the Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell. It’s not the first time either an electric motor has been chosen for Ward’s 10 Best Engines list, as the Fiat 500e was given the nod for its 83 kW motor last year, though the 691 horsepower motor from the Tesla Model S P85D was conspicuously absent. Perhaps next year?

The new three-cylinder MINI Cooper engine gave BMW its second spot on the list, while Chrysler got the nod twice with the 3.0 liter EcoDiesel in the Ram 1500 (again) and the Challenger Hellcat’s 707 horsepower supercharged V8. The three-cylinder Ford EcoBoost engine made its fourth appearance on the 10 Best list, and was joined by the Volkswagen 1.8 turbocharged four-cylinder (again), the Volvo 2.0 liter turbo from the V60, the 2.0 liter Boxer from the Subaru WRX, and the Chevy Corvette’s 6.2 liter V8 (also again).

Will there come a day when alternative fuel drivetrains dominate the Ward’s 10 Best Engines list? This writer thinks so.

BMW Launches Flexible Mobility Program For i3 Electric Car

BMW i3 at DC fast-charging station

It's not a new idea, but it's one that carries a certain allure: Let the buyers of an electric car borrow a different vehicle for those few times a year when they need to travel long distances.

Loaner programs have been offered by a number of electric-car makers, including Fiat for its 500e car in California.

But the details are challenging to work out, which is why BMW took six months to launch its Flexible Mobility program for BMW i3 buyers.

Now those details are out, as laid out in a post by noted BMW electric-car advocate Tom Moloughney on his personal blog.

BMW i3

Unlike Fiat, which provides $500 in credits for rental cars from Alamo, Enterprise, or National to its 500e buyers through rental-car locations, BMW has chosen to administer its program primarily through its own dealers.

That required the company to get the dealers to opt in to offering loaner cars--and the language that the program is available only at "participating BMW i Sales Centers."

If a BMW i3 owner isn't near a participating dealer, BMW will provide credits at a nearby car-rental agency.

Interestingly, BMW dealers require i3 owners to return the loaner cars with a full tank of gas (as do rental-car companies), a mandate that Chevrolet apparently doesn't impose on Volt owners who get loaner cars when their vehicles are in for service.

2014 BMW i3 in Vancouver, Canada [photo: Don Chandler]

BMW dealers who sell substantial volumes of its electric cars are most likely to opt into the program.

United BMW Roswell in Atlanta, for instance, offers a BMW ICE or i3 REX to i3 owners who need to use one, up to a cap of 14 days per calendar year.

The dealer notes that it doesn't have unlimited numbers of loaners, and requests that owners return the REx range-extended model with a full gas tank (all 1.9 gallons of it).

Overall, BMW i3 owners have had mixed reactions to the Flexible Mobility program on reading about it--but it'll take a few months to see how it plays out in practice.

Source: Green Car Reports